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Course with employment: "The profession of a methodologist from scratch to PRO"
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Anastasia Prichischenko is a professional psychologist and coach with experience in personal effectiveness and public speaking. She is the head of the soft skills program at ITMO University, where she teaches students important skills for career success. Anastasia is also the founder of Designica School, an online school for interactive teaching methods, where she offers courses aimed at developing key skills and methods for effective learning. Her work helps develop confident and competent professionals prepared for the challenges of the modern world.
What helps and what doesn't help in reducing anxiety
Teachers and teachers are important specialists in the helping professions, comparable to psychologists and doctors. We deal with student anxiety and play a key role in creating a supportive educational environment. What we convey is easily absorbed by students, and this underscores our responsibility in shaping their emotional state and educational experience.
When working with anxiety, an important aspect is understanding the adaptive mechanisms of the psyche. Each person has a baseline level of anxiety, onto which additional layers of disturbing events are superimposed. Each new event brings with it new experiences, but their intensity usually diminishes over time. The pandemic provides an example: initially, anxiety due to the coronavirus peaked, but over time it became less acute, as if spread out over time. Although many restrictions, such as QR codes, have been lifted, situations where someone nearby coughs or a loved one falls ill can again trigger spikes in anxiety. Understanding these mechanisms helps us better cope with emotional states and adapt to life changes.
The situation in Ukraine adds an additional layer of anxiety to existing experiences. In such an environment, any new worry, whether a child's illness or a missed deadline, is perceived much more acutely. Under heightened emotional stress, each new challenge becomes more significant than in calmer times. This highlights the importance of mental well-being and the need for self-care during difficult times.
To reduce anxiety, some people try to set deadlines, hoping that all problems will be resolved by a certain time. However, research shows that this approach can be ineffective. Austrian psychologist Viktor Frankl, who survived the horrors of a concentration camp, clearly demonstrated this. His experience confirms that waiting for a crisis to end does not always bring peace. Instead, it is important to focus on the present moment and find ways to cope with current difficulties.
He explained that the initial attitude of "We will be liberated at the end of March!" created a certain hope in people. The prisoners believed in a positive outcome, which helped them better endure the difficult conditions and gave them the strength to survive until the appointed date. However, when nothing happened at the end of March, the situation worsened significantly. People's lives became much more difficult, and they were at risk of losing their lives as the hope that had sustained them vanished.
This principle applies in a variety of situations. It's important to remember that while we can't predict when distressing events will end, our psyche is remarkably resilient. While we need to go through several stages of acceptance, over time, significant events become part of our lives. Maintaining psychological health and adapting to change play a key role in this process.
Understanding adaptation processes plays a key role in recognizing and processing negative emotions. Hiding your feelings doesn't lead to positive results. Therefore, it's important to remember that the first rule of support, both for yourself and for your students, is to openly discuss anxiety. For example, at the beginning of the events in Ukraine, I held a session with students on the topic of fear of public speaking. I explained that there is a difference between fear and anxiety, and it would be useful for us to consider these feelings in a broader context. Knowing ways to overcome fear in everyday life can also help in public speaking situations. It is crucial to talk about students' experiences and acknowledge them, practically allowing them to experience fear. This approach promotes the activation of adaptation mechanisms and helps to cope with negative emotions.
Students of ITMO University receive support from the psychological service, but currently the number of applications exceeds available resources. Therefore, we are launching an online marathon in messengers to help those experiencing anxiety but not ready for an in-person meeting with a psychologist. The marathon is also suitable for those who cannot attend a consultation for various reasons or who want to help their loved ones but don't know how. We are increasing the number of consultation hours for teachers, as their psychological support is especially important at this time. Teacher anxiety directly impacts students, so ensuring psychological comfort for all participants in the educational process is a priority.
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Anastasia Prichischenko is an experienced psychologist and coach specializing in developing personal effectiveness and public speaking skills. She is the head of the soft skills program at ITMO University and the founder of the online school of interactive teaching methods, Designica School. Anastasia's specialization includes practical techniques that help people unlock their potential and speak confidently in front of an audience.
What to do when the news is throwing you off your game
Disconnecting from the news can seem difficult. For example, I use the "Three Simple Things" method. When I'm having trouble focusing on work and it feels like the day is wasting away, I acknowledge that today isn't my best day for productivity. Then I set a goal to complete three small tasks. This approach helps me stay motivated and improve my mood, and it allows me to return to larger tasks with renewed energy.
I won't develop a large program; instead, I'll review old documents and collect ideas in one place. Instead of creating a presentation, I'll check a database for suitable images. I won't write a report right away either; instead, I'll let those waiting I'll send it later. This way, the process gets started—doing simple, small tasks will help me get back into the swing of things. It's important to understand that action is the only way to break out of emotional stagnation. I've decided to give up reading the news and checking social media feeds. It doesn't affect my work, but it does keep me busy for hours. Initially, I planned to dedicate a few hours a day to the news, but I realized that morning reading can be distracting and ruin my mood, and evening news updates guarantee restless sleep. Setting limits won't work, because I still learn about important events from family, colleagues, and work chats. This is a more productive approach. It's important to focus on what I do best. In my case, it's teaching and support, and that's exactly what I'll be doing.
Read also:
- How universities can stay productive in the new reality
- "I try to provide the level of support and acceptance that I'm capable of"
- Psychological support hotlines are open for students and schoolchildren
